Beauty by Susan Sontag
People patronize beautiful works of art, movies, songs, celebrities, sceneries, etc. Helen of Troy had “the face that launched a thousand ships. ” Beauty has its powers that draw people to everything that is beautiful. I think what Sontag failed to point out was that through beauty’s ability to influence people, it may be used to save the world. Her argument about beauty only falls on the context of what we know beauty in the arts and nature.
I just would like to contribute my ideas about beauty and what meaningful things it can do for the world. If people can only see the beauty in helping others, sharing wealth and blessings, being compassionate and empathetic, respecting humanity and all forms of life that roam the earth, it could save the world from self-destruction. Beauty can end all wars. Beauty can end poverty.
Beauty can end hate. People need to get in touch with the beauty of love and life in order to foster a world of peace, happiness, and prosperity. Beauty begins with the self. People must be able to cultivate a beautiful mind, body, and soul by focusing on the good things in life, being a productive citizen as part of a larger community, forgiving and forgetting, and even just by simply smiling.
Having a beautiful body means being fit and healthy, eating good food, drinking the right beverages. Moreover, being beautiful does not only mean wearing flashy clothes, putting on make-up, owning designer bags and shoes, or going to the salon everyday. Being beautiful means being a good person who is full of love and compassion for oneself, other people, and the world. Even in the simple things in life, there is beauty that needs to be fostered by each and everyone.
If people only took the time to look at how beautiful the world can be if we just take a big leap and change within ourselves by nurturing beauty inside and out, then we are on our way to keeping the world a beautiful place to live in. The world as we see now, with people fighting over money power, people suffering from poverty, people hating other people, people killing other people. There is so much beauty can do, and we should be able to use the power, influence, and beauty to change the world into something that is desirably beautiful and peaceful.
